Hidden Hunters
by Sanura Bey
Summary: Clary isn't the only daughter of Jocelyn and Valentine. Meet Farah Fray. Clary's older sister might not be so great at art, but she is at fighting. She's taken as many fighting classes as her mother could afford over the years, but how will she react when confronted with the truth of her birth? The truth of her family?
1. The Mortal Cup

I stared at the symbol on the van Clary had just drawn in silence when Clary's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Hey, can you watch where you're going?" Clary asked this guy who'd bumped into her. I turned to see him look at her confused.

"You can see me?" Who knew four words could change my entire world.

* * *

EIGHT HOURS EARLIER

I waited with Simon after Clary's interview with the Academy of Art at the cafe we were all meeting at.

"How do you think she did?" Simon asked watching the door like a hawk.

"Calm down, lover boy," he threw me a look at the name I'd been calling him in private after I'd discovered his not so secret feeling for my baby sister. "She's a great artist like mom. I'm sure she did fine."

"You might want to tell that to her face." I turned to see her walking disappointedly to us with her portfolio under one arm and a paper in the opposite hand. "Give me the professors' names and I... I will end them."

"And how do you plan on doing that? By throwing a piece of paper at them?" He swatted my arm making me laugh. Simon was like a brother to me, always had. Teasing came with the job of the adoptive older sister.

"You know, with... with a scathing e-mail to the dean." he defended seeing my sisters look. She wasn't all that into fighting, unlike me. Something drew me to all sorts of martial arts styles, with and without weapons. It was the same with music for me and art for Clary. Mom said we each had our talents.

"Don't bother," Clary told him putting her things down and placing the paper on the table between them. He picked up the paper as she sat down and started reading it.

"What?" he smiled before looking at her. "Sad face? Really?" Clary laughed at him as I grabbed the paper from him. I laughed in happiness and hugged her to me, our matching red hair blending together. "Well played, well played." Clary backed away from me enough to get on of her arms back so she could fist bump her best friend.

"Thank you. You know, it's weird. They kinda liked my assigned work, but they flipped out over the drawings for our graphic novel." Clary told us.

"It's original and amazing. Who could turn it away?" I asked her.

"You're welcome." Simon chuckled.

"This day will go down in history as the greatest 18th birthday I ever had," she told us.

"Well, how many are you planning to have?" I joked making them laugh with me while she elbowed me lightly.

"Don't forget we are celebrating tonight," Simon reminded us. "Yes, with Maureen, after our show."

"Absolutely." Clary agreed while I nodded. Maureen and I hadn't ever really seen eye to eye on a lot of things so we'd never gotten along. But today wasn't about me, it was about Clary. "So... what's the deal with you and Maureen?" Clary asked as she placed her biscotti between us.

"What deal?" Simon asked her confused. "No deal. We sing together."

"You seriously don't know she's been crushing on you this whole time?" Clary asked him amazed by the fact.

"That could be because... ow!" I glared at Simon after he kicked me in the leg.

"No. No." Simon stammered glaring at me before turning back to the girl he'd been crushing on forever. I shook my head at them.

"Simon, how can someone as smart and perceptive as you not realize that the person sitting right there is in love with you?" she asked him and I covered my smile with my espresso.

"I guarantee you I'm not the only smart, perceptive person to make that mistake," Simon assured her.

"Everyone's done it at least once," I commented before noticing Clary's confused face on the table. I looked to see a perfectly drawn biscotti between us where a real one should have been. "That's a latte." Simon teased her, thinking she was looking at her drink.

"But I could have sworn I had a biscotti," she told him.

"I remember you putting it between us," I added, just as confused as she was.

"Maybe you ate it really fast and didn't even notice," Simon suggested. "Happens to me all the time. When I'm happy... when I'm sad." Clary and I laughed at him. "But I will replace your mythical biscotti with an actual one."

"Thank you."

"You know what?" Simon asked raising his drink. "Here's to you. L'chaim."

"L'chaim." we all clinked our cups together before taking a drink. I looked back at the drawn biscotti before shaking my head. Must have been our imaginations.

* * *

After lattes and espressos, Clary and I made our way back home to change before meeting with Maureen and Simon for their show and Clary's party. We walked into the antique shop to see Dot reading her Tarot cards mom had made for her.

"Hey Dot." we greeted.

"Hey." she smiled at us before looking at the card she'd just turned over.

"How's your future looking?" Clary asked.

"Not as good as yours. Either of yours." Dot sent a secret smile to me which I returned. "The Tarot Cards tell you got into the advanced program."

"And by "the Tarot Cards" you mean, "Simon's Twitter account"?" Clary asked her.

"Okay," she sighed. "I follow him."

"Don't we all?" I asked her.

"Turns out, predicting the future with Tarot Cards is very complicated." She turned over a card for us to see the large cup painted on the other side. "But, I do see a birthday present in your future." Dot placed the bag on the counter in front of Clary and walked to stand beside us.

"Dot!"

"Okay! Open it!" Dot said excitedly as Clary began to dig into the bag.

"Wow." Clary and I looked at the black shirt that definitely needed a top underneath unless you were looking for a certain kind of... activity to occur. Yeah, you know what kind I'm talking about.

"Yeah, you might wanna keep that on the DL 'cause your mom's my boss and I don't want her to flip out." Dot told us.

"Call it our secret," I assured her.

"And that's how I know it's cool," Clary said and we all laughed. "You know, you're way better at gift-giving than magically predicting the future."

"Nothing magical about it. I just buy the things I wanna wear." Clary put the top back in the bag while turning to Dot. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." the two hugged.

"I love you girls."

"We love you too." I scored my hug from Dot and she sighed staring at us.

"You okay?" Clary asked her when we noticed her face go serious.

"Yeah," she chuckled. "Yeah, happy birthday. Go up and see your mom." Clary grabbed her things before we linked arms and we made our way upstairs.

"Mom!" Clary called out to her as she was going through the laundry in the living room.

"You did it! Yay!" Mom laughed walking to us.

"You also follow Simon?" Clary asked.

"He only has 92 followers." Mom pointed out.

"Which isn't good when you're in a band and trying to go beyond coffee shops," I added as we had a small group hug.

"Exactly why he needs the retweets. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Hashtag, stalker mom." Clary joked putting her things down. Mom pulled out two presents and presented one to Clary and one to me.

"Happy birthday."

"Mom, I don't know if you'd noticed, but we aren't 5. You don't have to give me a gift just because you give her one anymore." What can I say, I was a jealous kid.

"I know. I just wanted to give you this." she smiled at us as we took the gifts from her. Clary sat down to open her box while I stayed standing. I opened the box and inside was this metal stick with symbols on it and a clear end. The metal twisted as it went from the clear end to the squared off top. "It's called a Stele." I looked to see Clary with the same thing.

"What is it, like, a paperweight?" Clary asked her.

"No, it's much more than that." Mom told us and I looked at her confused.

"It doesn't look like much," I commented sitting on the arm of the couch.

"It's very ancient," Mom told us. "I want you to have them. It's a family heirloom." I chuckled at the word.

"We Frays have heirlooms?" Clary laughed.

"A few." Mom nodded.

"You know, it's weird. I doodled something that looked like this this morning." Clary said.

"And these symbols. I know I've seen them before." Neither of us noticed Mom's hazel eyes look at us in worry.

"We must have seen them around the house somewhere."

"Must have." I agreed distantly. I know I'd seen this somewhere before, but where...

"Honey, I need to..." Clary's phone went off pulling me from my confused brain and stopping Mom's words.

"Simon, he's on his way over," Clary said, rising from her seat. I stood and we went towards our respective room.

"But we need to talk." Mom insisted.

"I can't right now. I gotta change."

"Yeah, can't go to a show with day clothes on." I agreed.

"Especially when you see Champagne Enema." Clary agreed.

"What," Mom asked confused.

"Yeah, I know," Clary told her gathering her dropped things. "It's the new band name."

"That band changes names like a kid does clothes," I complained.

"Simon and Maureen are taking us out after." Clary finished saying pretending I hadn't spoken.

"But it's... It's your 18th birthday, and, uh..." Mom inhaled sharply before looking at the ground. "Everything's going to change for you now."

"You do know you told me the same thing, but my life is still very much the same was it was the 17 before." But had it really? I thought to myself. Things had changed, I'd just wanted to ignore them.

"Mom, we've had the talk. I'm good." Clary tried leaving but Mom had us by the hands.

"We need to have a much different and more important talk. All three of us." Mom threw us both looks.

"And we will." Clary tried assuring her as I studied Mom's worried face. "But can it be over breakfast, all right?" Clary kissed Mom's forehead and gave her a small hug. "I love you." Clary turned and went to her room to get ready for tonight. "Thank you for the heirloom. Love you."

* * *

I checked my makeup in the mirror. My purple eyeshadow made my green eyes pop and was outlined with black liner. The black crop top ensured I had to wear my black jacket zipped enough to hide the skin mom would flip out over. My black pants hugged my but and legs and tucked into my black knee-high heeled boots. My red hair was pulled half up then the part that was pulled back was braided. It was pretty, simple, and out of my face. Maybe it was the years of fighting, but something was telling me to be ready for one tonight. I looked down at the Stele and picked it up. I gently rubbed my fingers along the symbols before pocketing it. I walked out of my room to see Clary right in front of me walking back towards mom.

"Hey birthday girl," she turned and gave me a small look making me laugh. We did the small talk thing until we saw Luke and mom talking in the kitchen.

"Hey, Luke, what up?" Clary asked him.

"Hey girls! Incredible drawings," Luke complimented.

"Oh, thanks."

"And I got you these." Luke pulled out a six-pack of paints and gave them to her. "Spray paint."

"Oh, they're perfect," Clary told him pulling them to her.

"If I catch any of that paint on city walls, I will arrest you," he jokingly warned her.

"Please, Saint Clary do something illegal? I'd have to pay to see that day," I joked making Clary dig her elbow into my gut lightly as I laughed.

"The paint is for Simon's can," Clary informed Luke. "I'm insisting they rename the band."

"Oh, yes, please," mom sighed.

"And for that, the world will thank us."

"Yeah."

"Did you mom talk to you about those?" Luke asked us and I followed his eyes to see him looking at the Stele sticking out of Clary's pocket.

"The heirlooms. Yeah, they're beautiful."

"Clary, you're 18 now, and-"

"What is with you guys?" Clary asked looking between the both of them.

"Wow, I'm having serious deja vu right now," I commented.

"I'm turning 18, it's not like I'm headed off on some epic journey."

"But you are!" Simon chimed in from behind us.

"Saved by the Simon!" I cheered as we turned to him.

"See, we are going to Lombardi's to celebrate your birthday after our gig," Simon told her and Clary giggled at him.

"You should come back here after." I threw mom a look at her obviousness. "The city's not that safe right now."

"Yeah, thanks but no thanks mom," I told her. "We're good." Clary grabbed her new paints and we went for the door.

"Yeah, we will take a rain check. Wait. Do I smell chicken cacciatore?" Simon asked mom. I turned and gave mom another look. What was with her today? She knew Simon loved her chicken cacciatore and that he'd want to come back for some.

"Simon, your gig," Clary reminded him.

"Oh, you're singing?" Luke asked him.

"Yes, big gig. And by big, I mean not so." the men shared a chuckle as mom pulled me and Clary in for a tight Fray hug.

"Losing circulations here," Clary choked.

"Breakfast, the three of us, tomorrow. Promise?" mom asked us.

"Yep."

"Yeah, mom, big Fray breakfast. Promise."

"Mom... uh, mom? Mom, you have to let us go."

"Yeah, we are legally adults. Besides, it's not like anything life changing will happen just cause we walk out of the door," I laughed.

"Yeah," Mom whispered. "That's what I'm afraid of." Clary turned to Simon with a small hop.

"Shall we?"

"Yes." Simon took Clary's paints and offered her his back. She jumped on and I laughed as the pair went to the door so we could party.

* * *

"My mom is so overprotective lately," Clary complained to Simon and Maureen as we waited for their gig to start.

"Yeah, remember when I wanted to go to that party when I was 17?" I asked Clary and she nodded her head laughing.

"What happened?" Maureen asked us.

"Well, it was almost my 18th birthday and mom completely flipped cause this guy I was dating at the time was throwing a party and I wanted to go. The city was a quiet as it could be, but to mom, it was just a sign that something big was about to happen. I had to sneak out the window."

"Only it didn't work," Clary added.

"Yeah, Mom busted me the minute I walked in the door." I winced at the memory. I'd never seen mom so angry at anyone before.

"So, do you remember in Aliens, when the alien queen was defending her eggs from Ripley?" Simon asked us.

"In this scenario, is my mom Ripley or the alien queen?" Clary asked him.

"Both."

"What?"

"How does that work?"

"A mother defending her young," Simon clarified.

"Defending us from what?" Clary asked him. "I spend all day in an art studio"

"I spend most of mine in some sort of fighting area."

"Valid reason to try and defend you from something, but for me?"

"Ah, yes. Saint Clary with the boring mundane life." I traced a fake tear down my cheek and she hit my arm making me laugh.

"We really don't know much about when she was young," Clary reminded them.

"Oh, just do what I do and get all the dirt from your relatives," Maureen told her playing with her bracelets.

"Well, we would if we could, but she doesn't have any," Clary scoffed.

"And our dad died before Clary was born," I added.

"So you have no one?" Maureen asked. "No uncles, no aunts, no third cousins, twice removed?"

"No, just me, Farah, and mom."

"That's why the Lewis clan has added four chairs to every seder since pre-school," Simon told her as Clary and I made a noise of confirmation while nodding slightly. "One for Clary, one for Farah, one for Jocelyn, and one for Elijah."

"Of course."

"Obviously."

"Yes, obviously."

"You guys don't think that's a little bit suspicious?" Maureen asked us. "You now knowing anything about our family? Your mom could be hiding some deep, dark secret."

"Maureen, it's not possible," Clary laughed.

"No, no, think about it."

"No, seriously," Clary insisted.

"Have you met Jocelyn Fray? She's incapable of concealing anything from us."

* * *

 _Forever young_

 _I wanna be forever young_

 _Do you really want to live forever_

 _Forever young_

Clary and I applauded with everyone else at the end of Simon and Maureen's gig before helping them clean up and go back to the van.

"Thanks for being our roadie," Maureen said so we placed the last of the equipment in the van.

"Yeah, and thank you for being our artist in residence." Simon took off his shirt making both Maureen and Clary freeze a little.

"Of course."

"So, the two of you went on stage as Champagne Enema," I said not masking my dislike of the name and they both laughed.

"What were we thinking, right?" Maureen asked.

"But now, we're Rock Solid Panda."

"Yeah, we are!" Maureen agreed and I rolled my eyes at her. She agreed cause she liked Simon while he loved Clary.

"Rock Solid Panda, coming up. I'm feeling inspired." Clary took one of her paints and started shaking it as we followed her to the side of the van.

"Paint," Maureen reminded Simon.

"Paint."

* * *

We stood outside Pandemonium with its sign flashing between the name and demon as Clary finished her work on the side of the van. She stepped back and we stared at her work.

"What's that tag?" Simon asked her. The tag was a diamond but instead of connecting at the top they overlapped each other before curling back inwards. The symbol looked so familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on how.

"Weird, I didn't even mean to draw that," Clary told us. "Second time today."

"You know they have confirmed cases of people waking up in the morning speaking French, and they never even studied the language," Maureen told us.

"Do you think that's some kind of language?" Clary asked her.

"Sanskrit maybe." Maureen walked back to Simon as Clary and I stared at the symbol.

"Hey, can you watch where you're going?" Clary asked this guy who'd bumped into her. I turned to see him look at her confused.

"You can see me?"

"Yeah, that's kind of the point, but you obviously didn't see me,"

"Or he just assumed you'd just move over so he could just walk right on by," I suggested and he turned his confused expression to me.

"You two have the Sight." I shared a look with Clary.

"I'm sorry, the what?" I asked him.

"How can I not know who you are?" I laughed and grinned up at him.

"Wow, has that line ever worked, I mean seriously?" I asked him. He just stared at us before someone called for him.

"Jace!" he turned in the direction of the voice, then back to us before leaving. I just stared at him as he ran into the club before moving to the others.

"Do you guys believe that blonde dude?" Clary asked them.

"You mean the imaginary dude you were talking to?" Simon asked and I looked at him confused.

"No, the guy running into the club right now," Clary corrected him.

"Guys, there's nobody there," Maureen told us.

"Seriously? The guy covered in tats? Walked right into Clary," I told them.

"What guy are you two talking about?" Simon asked us.

"You guys seriously don't see him?" Clary asked them getting a little freaked.

"No."

"Okay, could you stop making me feel insane?" Clary asked them as they stared at us.

"Could you stop acting that way?" Maureen asked her.

"Could you stop making me want to hit you?" I asked her and she just moved back slightly. Okay, I shouldn't have jumped on her like that, but everyone has that line that no one crosses. She's crossed it a bit too much in the time we've known her. I'm honestly surprised I haven't gone at her before.

"Clary, Farah, what was in your lattes?" Simon asked us worriedly. Clary and I stared at the club entrance before I sighed.

"Screw it." I took off my jacket and placed it in the back of the van before going for the door. Clary followed me taking off her green jacket.

"Where are you two going?" Simon asked.

"To get some answers." Clary threw her jacket at him before catching up to me.

"Remember, you fake IDs suck," Simon called told us.

"You can get into a club at 18," I called back to him.

* * *

Inside the club was crowded. Some people were dancing while others stood around and were drinking and talking. I spotted the guy from earlier and nodded my head to him so Clary could see him.

"I'm gonna go fail at getting us some birthday drinks," Simon told us.

"I'm gonna go fail with you." Maureen grabbed Simon's hand and they stopped at the bar while Clary and I followed the guy from before.

"Do you want some... Clary! Farah!" We followed him until he entered what looked like a VIP room. the curtain closed behind him and I sighed before spotting a big guy. I linked my arm with his and Clary did the same on his other side.

"Somebody works out," she said and he looked down at the two of us, his eyes a right, almost glowing, blue. "Cool contacts." Once we were in we separated from our way in and started moving towards the guy. He was whispering something to a beautiful woman as a brunette danced seductively drawing men to her like kids at a candy store. My eyes widened at the sword the blonde guy just made magically appear. "Watch out!" Clary shrieked pushing the woman away from him. She fell into a black leather couch and when she turned to us her mouth had split into four parts as she roared at us.

"Careful!" the blonde pushed Clary back into a metal beam and I ran to her. By the time I looked back at them the guy had swung the blade and made the "girl" evaporate into red dust. The dancing brunette now had a whip and she lassoed the man who'd escorted us in somehow managing to electrocute him. Two others went after her but she just hit the first with the heel of her hand and kicked behind her to keep the second one back. I helped Clary up as the blonde made his way to us. "Are you hurt?" Before we could answer his question our former escort headbutted him in the back of his head making his sword fly to the black couch which made the blade disappear. The pair started fighting as Clary picked up the discarded hilt. The glowing blade appeared again in her hands and I just looked at it confused before taking it from her.. The blonde threw the guy at us and impaled him on the sword still in my hands making him turn into fiery dust just like the woman before. I stared at where he'd been in shock. The blonde looked at me before attempting to grab his sword, but one of the other guys wrapped his arm around his neck and we watched as they fought. The blonde even used the guy as a way to kick another of his friends away from him. One of the guys came at the two of us and I used my arms to block the punches thrown at me. I kicked him back but he just ran back to me so I stabbed him in the abdomen. I pulled out the sword as he turned to red dust before the blonde took the sword from me killing his own attacker. Clary ran away from the fight with me right behind her. Clary bumped into a guy as she ran out.

"Clary!" I looked up at the guy and stared at him for a moment. I knew I'd seen him before but couldn't place where.

"Sorry," she breathed out. We stared at him a few seconds longer before running out of the club and into a waiting taxi. "Drive!" We gave him the address before sitting back and going home in total silence.

* * *

When we got home we Clary immediately started ranting about what had happened while I sat staring at my hands with mom's arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"And then these creepy tentacles seemed to come out of the body builder's face, and... and then the just vaporized." Clary paced the room before turning to mom, trembling. "I mean, I was drugged, right?"

"What did the markings look like on the blonde boy you were talking about?" Mom asked her and I looked up at her confused.

"Is that really what you should focus on?" I asked her confused.

"Who cares, mom, okay? Are you even listening to me? I think Farah killed two guys."

"Girls!" we both looked at her as she pulled a Stele out of her back pocket. How many of those did she have?" "Did they look like this?" The tip of the Stele glowed as mom ran it along her arm revealing a symbol that was definitely not there before. I jumped out of my seat and stood next to Clary, staring at the mark in shock.

"Mom, what the..."

"Everything you saw tonight has a meaning and an explanation, and I've dreaded having this conversation with the two of you since the day you were born." Mom rose from her seat and moved towards us.

"Mom, please..." I almost begged her.

"What is going on?" Clary asked her. "A-Are we... Are we going insane?"

"No, you're not," Mom told us. "But the protections are wearing off, just like they did for Farah last year."

"Wait, what?" I asked her confused.

"Once you turned 18 I should have sat you down and told you the truth then so you'd be better prepared to protect yourself and your sister."

"Protections?" Clary asked.

"What does that even mean?" I asked getting more annoyed.

"Mom, you... Mom, you're scaring the hell out of me."

"I know, and that's why I've put this off until the last possible minute."

"Maybe you should have told us years ago so we wouldn't be so scared now." I countered.

"Jocelyn," we all turned to see Dot running to us. "Look out the window. Magnus called to warn us. They found you." Mom moved to the window and looked down on the street.

"Dot, it's time!" Mom told her before moving to us. "Okay, listen to me. You cannot be near me."

"What's happening?" Clary asked her.

"I got a very powerful person angry," Mom told us.

"What did you lie to them too?" I snapped." Mom explained before coming back us with a purple necklace in her hand.

"Followers?" Clary asked her.

"Why can't we just call the cops or something?" I asked her.

"The policeman you need to call is Luke." Mom spun Clary around before placing a necklace on her. "Keep this with you and think of me when you wear it."

"Mom, this is not the time for more birthday gifts," Clary told her holding the pendant before spinning to look at her. "What the hell is happening?!"

"Only if you need it," Dot told mom handing her a bottle with some sort of green liquid inside. Mom took the bottle before grabbing my arm.

"Trust your instincts. You're more powerful than you know," Mom instructed.

"Mom, I don't understand, what's..."

"Dot open it." I turned to see blue smoke in Dot's hand. Two of the doors that decorated our apartment opened on their own and a purple thing appeared between them. "Everything I've done, every mistake I've made was because I love the two of you more than words." Mom pulled us to the purple smoke.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Clary asked her.

"Luke will explain everything. He'll hide you."

"Hide us?" I asked her.

"From the Circle. He's the only one you can trust. Trust no one else," she instructed.

"Mom, I don't-"

"Where's Luke now?" Mom nearly screamed at us.

"At the police station!" Clary and I screamed back.

"Remember, I love you."

"Mom!" I felt something pulling me from behind and gasped at the feeling.

"Mom!" I reached for Mom the best I could.

"Farah! Clary!"

"Mom!" Suddenly, Clary and I were sitting in the station next to each other. Clary rubbed her arm from the pain of doing whatever it was we just did.

"Clary? Farah?" we turned to see the police chief walking up the steps to us.

"Captain Vargas." Clary and I rose from our spots on the floor.

"It's 2 in the morning. What are you two doing here so late?" she asked us.

"Uh, um..." Clary froze when trying to lie to her.

"Luke said he'd drive us home if he was still here," I lied smiling at her.

"Still doesn't trust those cabbies, huh?" she asked with a smile of her own.

"You know Luke," I said.

"Well, he's in the middle of an interview. It could take a while," she warned.

"That's fine, we can wait in the cafeteria. Got the munchies." The two of us started walking away when she spoke again.

"Hey, uh... is there some sort of problem?" she asked and I felt Clary tense up next to me. "Guy trouble?"

"Hit the nail on the head, but let's just keep that between us? Luke would flip," I said.

"Of course." With that Clary and I made it look like we were going to the cafeteria while she turned and went to where ever she was going. Once she was out of sight, we went down the stairs and made our way to Luke.

* * *

"The minute we learned Jocelyn Fairchild was alive, you were easy to track," We heard a man say to Luke as we peered over a half-wall.

"Fairchild?" Clary looked at me confused but I just shrugged my shoulders at the name. I'd never heard of it.

"Turns out you and Jocelyn were never that far apart," the man told Luke. "The Circle has her now." Clary's hand found mine and I squeezed it for comfort. "It's just a matter of time until we catch the daughters."

"You can have all of them if you give up the Mortal Cup," the woman sitting on Luke's desk told him.

"I don't care about any of them. They mean nothing to me." I felt my heart ripping at Luke's words as Clary and I gasped. He was like the father we never had. If mom wasn't around we'd always had Luke to depend on. "Kill all of them of them you like. My people want the Cup. Why do you think I've been hanging around here all these years? Now, when I find the Cup..." Luke and the man rose from their seats as the woman got off the desk, "I'm gonna keep it. And you can tell Valentine and the Circle that."

"No one mentioned Valentine," the woman told him.

"You didn't have to."

"Listen to me." The man put his finger in Luke's face but Luke just slapped his hand away.

"No, you listen to me. Get out of my office," Luke ordered. Clary and I sat on the stairs and I leaned my head back closing my eyes to smother any emotions threatening to come out.

"Mom..." Clary whispered. "We have to go back to mom..." Clary and I got up before running out into the rain and back home.

* * *

When we got to the alley leading to home we called out for mom before stopping in front of a pool of blood. I grabbed Clary's hand and pulled her behind me into the house.

"Mom!" Clary and I looked around the shop under our apartment. The entire place was destroyed. Clary fell to her knees sobbing.

"Mom!" I called out while looking around. I saw an ax on the counter and grabbed it before going to the apartment.

"Farah..." I heard Clary rush to me as we slowly walked up the stairs. She followed me, crying as we walked. I didn't have the heart to try and stop her from making any noise. I took a deep, quiet breath before quickly turning the corner with the ax raised. Empty.

"Dot?" I turned to see Dot on the other side of the room. Clary moved to her happily and I kept up with her, not dropping the ax.

"They took Jocelyn," she told us.

"Who took her?" Clary asked frantically.

"Rogue Shadowhunters searching for the Mortal Cup," Dot said moving towards us. I lowered the ax finally and shook my head.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Clary asked her.

"Think, Clary, Farah. Did your mother ever talk to you about a cup?" she asked us. "A very important cup. It's-it's gold, almost like a chalice."

"No! No, we don't know anything about a cup, Dot."

"But you should know that," I reminded her.

"One of the antiquities downstairs?"

"No, no, not those," Dot told her. I moved Clary behind me slightly as Dot moved closer to us. "Think, girls. This could save Jocelyn."

"How could we think about some stupid cup when our mother was just kidnapped?!" I shouted at her.

"You know more than you think you do, Clary and Farah Fray." Suddenly, Her mouth was split into four like the woman from Pandemonium. I took the ax and shoved it into her gut before pushing her away from the two of us.

"Farah!"

"Stay back, Clary!" We watched as Dot's fingers elongated and turned black. Her teeth sharpened and changed just like the rest of her. Eventually, Dot changed into a strange, white looking thing. Clary and I screamed at it as it got up and jumped at us. I pushed Clary back and away from me and I rolled away from it just in time for the coffee table to be broken into pieces under it. I backed away from it as its mouth separated into four again. It got close enough to me to scratch me with its large tooth on the edge of the four parts of its mouth. I quickly stood up and Clary screamed while I felt for a weapon. Suddenly, a glowing white sword was pushed through its chest making me scream in shock. I took several deep breathes and tried to calm myself as the blonde boy from before stared down at me.

"What, no "thank you" for saving your life?" he asked me.

"Farah!" Clary was instantly at my side hugging me tightly.

"What and inflate your ego more?" I asked him. "Not a chance."

"Careful. That demon got a piece of you," he told me.

"Demons?" Clary asked.

"Yeah." He put his hands on the side of my head and stared at me before looking away. "What do you think that miserable, disgusting thing was?"

"Dot?" I asked when the room started spinning.

"No, Ravener demon, shapeshifter." his voice started echoing and I started getting extremely dizzy.

"Made up words your thing now?" I joked before shaking my head, trying to clear the dizzy spell, but it only got worse. "Why is the room spinning?"

"Demon venom," he said.

"I'm assuming that's a bad thing," I said before my world went black.

* * *

When I woke up I sat straight up into the forehead of another woman.

"Ow."

"Who the hell are you?" I asked her moving away from her while quickly making note of the shirt that barely covered my ass.

"I'm Isabelle," she introduced with a smile on her face. "I've never seen Jace so curious about a mundane or distracted. Like you saw earlier, distractions are dangerous in our line of work."

"Well, not only do I have no idea what you're talking about all this but I never intended to be a distraction for anyone," I told her. "Wait, who's Jace?"

"You really don't know much, do you?" she asked me.

"Listen, Isabelle, all I need to know is a crew of physhos took my mother and now you and yours have taken me and..." I froze and quickly got out of bed. "Where's my sister? What have you people done to her?"

"Don't worry, she's safe with the boys," she assured me. "And when you say "taken" I assume you mean "saved your life"?"

"Depends on what you plan on doing to us after," I told her and she simply smirked at me.

"A mundane shouldn't even be here," the brunette boy from before said.

"And here would be...?" I asked.

"They are not mundanes, Alec," the blonde boy from before told his friend.

"How do you know that?" Alec asked him.

"Because the seraph blade lit up when they touched it," the blonde boy explained. Or at least I think it was an explanation.

"Seraph blade?" I asked.

"Farah!" I turned and attempted to brace myself as she tackled me. I felt a body stop me from falling to the ground and looked up to see the blonde. "I was so scared you were going to leave me alone."

"I will never leave you alone, Clary. I promise," I told her, hugging her tightly.

"What's going on?" she asked me and I looked up at Jace.

"Isabelle, can you..." Isabelle moved so Jace could take her spot in front of me. "I'm Jace Wayland."

"I'm Far...

"Farah and Clary Fray, we know who you are," Jace told us.

"Am I the only one who finds this unusual?" Alec asked.

"You find everything unusual, Alec," Jace accused.

"I have to report this to the Clave," Alec told them.

"Who's the Clave?" I asked.

"The hightest order of Shadowhunters," Jace to me and Alec rolled his eyes. "You know what? Dial it down a notch."

"My brother doesn't have a dial," Isabelle said. "I love you, Alec, but you have a switch that's always on."

"I love you, too. But this-"

"Hey, you know what? Give me a minute," Jace told them, but neither of them moved. "Here's a word you never hear me say. Please?"

"What is with you?" Alec asked him. "No, really, what is with you?"

"Walk with me big brother," Isabelle told him and together they left the room. Jace pulled down the shoulder of my shirt and looked over the place I'd been scratched.

"Your wound, it's healed," he told me. Clary moved to the other side of me and inspected my shoulder.

"How is that even possible?" Clary asked him.

"So I'm miraculously healed and all of you people have magical powers or something?" I asked him.

"No," he scoffed with a smile on his face. "No, don't confuse me with a warlock."

"A what?" Clary asked.

"Warlocks are real too?" I asked him.

"They are one of the Downworlders," he told me.

"Okay, you two aren't making sense," Clary told us.

"Warlocks, according to the stories I read are male witches," I told her.

"Those stories are wrong," Jace told us. "Warlocks, vampires, Seelies..."

"Literally my brain is about to explode," Clary warned.

"Those are all real?" I asked him.

"I'll keep it simple for the two of you," Jace told us. "All the legends are true. We're Shadowhunters. We protect the human world from the demon world. So those people you saw murdered at the Pandemonium..."

"Demons," I guessed.

"Shapeshifters," he corrected.

"Like Dot."

"Look, we're not interested in being a part of you supernatural fight club. We just wanna find our mom," Clary told him. "The rest of it, whatever it is, all we care about is finding our mother. Please."

"Can you help us find her?" I asked him.

"I'm the best chance you've got," he told me.

"We don't even know you," I pointed out. We stared at each other before Clary's phone began to ring.

"Simon," she sighed before answering the phone. She got up and listened to her best friend worry about her.

"Looks like lover boy finally called her," I said quietly, smiling at her.

"Things are... all ripped apart," Clary told Simon.

"Lover boy?" Jace asked me.

"Simon's been in love with Clary for some years now, but she can't see it," I told him as she moved to the window.

"I see you," Clary told him. "Give us five minutes. Farah has to get dressed."

"That remindes me, where did my clothes go?"

"They were destroyed by the Demon Venom," Jace told me.

"Demon venom destroys clothes while killing people?" I asked him skeptically.

"Isabelle left you some clothes." I looked at the black leather clothes and raised my eyebrow at him.

"Those are clothes?" I stood up and picked them up and looked them over.

"She's very comfortable with her body," Jace told me.

"Right..." I took the clothes and went behind a screen and changed. The top was a severe V-cut that showed my breasts and the valley between. The skirt was short and showed off my long legs and the heeled knee-high boots only made them look longer. After I was dressed I looked over myself in the mirror before noticing a dark line on my neck. I moved my hair to the side to see a symbol that wasn't there before. "What's this?" I asked him

"I drew that," Jace told me.

"Okay listen. I still don't get everything that's going on here," Clary said motioning between the two of us. "But you do not tattoo my sister's neck. That's creepy."

"Duly noted," Jace told her before looking at me. "I guess next time I'll just let your sister die."

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Well, it's not a tattoo. It's a rune. They have enormous power. Good for Shadowhunters. Lethal for humans. But you two already know all about runes, don't you?" Jace asked picking up Clary's sketchbook and showed us the sketches. He looked at our confused faces and pulled one of his own. "Maybe you don't. Which is what makes the two of you so interesting, Farah and Clary Fray."

* * *

"I saw something behind your friend," Jace told us as we walked towards the front door.

"You're not going to kill Simon, are you?" Clary asked him worried.

"Protect the humans, kill the demons. You'll get it eventually," he told her.

"So, why can't Simon see you?" she asked him once we were walking towards him.

"This is a glamour, a rune that makes me invisible to mundanes," he explained lifting his shirt and showing the rune and his very toned abdomen. "It's a shame, really, cause, well, denying them all this."

"Cocky much?" I asked smirking at him which he just returned.

"What do you have on, Farah?" Simon asked taking off his jacket for me to put on. "Let me take you guys home?" I gave his jacket to Clary while shaking my head.

"Simon, we can't. It's not safe," I tried telling him.

"I don't think we have a home anymore," Clary told him.

"Why? What do you mean?" Simon asked confused. Clary put on his jacket and sighed.

"Well..."

"Farah and Clary Fairchild!" We turned to see the man from the police station that had been talking to Luke standing between us and the old church. Suddenly, Jace appeared behind him and kneed the sword out of his hand while wrapping his arm around his neck. Clary gasped at the shock as we watched Jace struggle the man.

"Clary? Farah? What's going on?" Simon asked us, still unable to see what we did. "What are you looking at?"

"If you give us the girl, I'll let you live," the man told Jace.

"You're in no position to be making rules," Jace told him. The man leaned forward then headbutted Jace making him grunt and us gasped in shock.

"Clary..." Clary's hand went to her mouth as Simon wrapped his hands around her in mock protection. She yelped as we watched the fight and I held her hand tightly in mine. The man pulled out a glowing sword and Jace jumped back in time to not get cut in two. Jace grabbed his hand and kept the sword away from him. The pair fought over the sword before Jace punched and pulled him in close.

"Jace!" I called out to him.

"We'll never stop hunting them." We heard the man say. Jace said something to him before we saw the glowing sword go through the man's back and I couldn't help but sigh in relief before running to him.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Excuse me?" Simon asked following the two of us.

"Is he dead?" Clary asked, pointing at the man.

"Is who dead?" Simon asked. "What the..."

"You can see him?" I asked him.

"Yeah, but where did he come from?" he asked me.

"Could you deglamorize, or whatever, so my best friend doesn't think I'm losing my mind?" Clary asked him moving closer to Simon. We waited as Jace did something to the rune on his side so Simon could see him.

"Um... what is happening?" Simon asked him.

"Yeah, we don't have the luxury right now, kid. Everyone back inside," Jace ordered.

"Clary, Farah, who is this? Your meth dealer?" Simon asked us.

"Who said anything about meth?" I asked him.

"We've seen him before. At the police station," Clary told Jace.

"He's a member of the Circle. He was here for the two of you," Jace tried telling her.

"He's also with the people who took our mother," I told him.

"Right, you little best friend here led him right to you and your sister," Jace told us. "He's here to capture or kill you."

"There's a dead body there, we have to call Luke," Simon told us and Clary turned to him.

"We can't trust Luke, Simon. We can't," she tried telling him.

"Farah, I need to protect you and your sister," Jace told me grabbing my arm. "I promise you, I promise I am gonna help you two find your mother. But you're one of us. You're a Shadowhunter."

"What are you talking about?" Clary asked. "Clary, Farah... you don't know this guy, all right? Come with me. I can get us help.

"Farah, Clary, please."

"Clary, Farah, come on." I looked between the two boys then before looking at Clary.


	2. The Descent into Hell isn't Easy

"Clary, Farah," Simon called out to us again and I sighed while shaking my head as Clary took a deep breath. "Come one. We gotta go."

"We're where we need to be," I told him.

"Simon, I think Jace can help us," Clary told him as sirens were heard in the background.

"What?" Simon asked shocked and confused.

"Come on." Clary took his hand and we headed back inside the church.

"How do we know this Mick Jagger-looking guy is even gonna try-"

"Mundane, we do not have the time," Jace told him heading for the door again and I was right behind him.

"Come on, Simon. Let's go." Clary pulled Simon into the church after Jace and me. Jace opened the door and we stopped just inside the doorway. Simon looked around and gave us a look. Jace sighed as he pulled up the sleeve on his leather jacket and used his Stele to mark his forearm with another rune. Jace gasped at the pain I could only imagine he was going through. Simon looked from him to Clary in confusion.

"I know," she whispered. "Trust me."

"He's, like, burning himself," Simon complained. When Jace was finished with the rune he reached around and grabbed Simon's hand in his. "Buddy, what's going on, man?" Simon panicked and asked him. "I'm not your type, man. I don't even..." Simon continued muttering as whatever Simon was seeing changed into what we were seeing. "Where are we? What the hell?" I turned to Simon as he looked around confused. "Guys, is there a war going on that I don't know about?"

"There is now," Jace told him walking towards the others.

"I think my mother's at the center of it," Clary told him before we followed Jace into the main room.

"You coming?" Jace asked us.

"We're on our way."

"What is this place?" Simon asked brethlessly. "There's a lot of gear in here. What'd they do, rob a tech shop?" We stopped at one of the monitors and Jace brought up the feed from in front of the Institute to show us the police knocking on the door. "So this cold-blooded killer is gonna help us?"

"He's not a killer," I defended. "He's protecting us."

"Specifically, you and your sister," Jace clarified. "It's sort of our thing." I smiled at the slight flirting tone in his voice.

"Your thing?" Simon asked. "You guys have a thing."

"He means a Shadowhunter thing," Clary told him.

"He said Shadowhunters protect humans from demons," I told him.

"Demons, right," Simon sighed. "That makes perfect sense, 'cause there are demons running all around New York."

"That is the first correct thing you've said all day," Jace told him. The monitor beeped at us

"NYPD."

"Won't they find us?" Clary asked him.

"No," he answered. "Our wards will deter them."

"Police."

"And the NYPD will do their typical mundie thing for a few hours and then the area will be clear," he said.

"What is going on?" I sighed at the familiar, loud, complaining voice. "Why is there a mundane in the Institute?"

"A circle member followed him to get to Farah and Clary," Jace sighed.

"A Circle rune, just like the guys that took my mother," Clary told him.

"What exactly is a Circle member and why are they trying to kill us?" Simon asked him.

"All we know is... a long time ago the Circle led a revolt. A lot of Shadowhunters got killed... including my father," Jace told us.

"And since the revolt, we've been forbidden to even hear about the Circle," Alec told us and I looked between them confused.

"But that's your history," I pointed out. "That's part of what makes you who you are."

"Says the girl who didn't know she was a Shadowhunter?" Jace scoffed and I gave him a look.

"Maybe we didn't know, but how exactly is that our fault?" I asked glaring at the taller boy.

"Now the only person who knows the truth is missing, so we don't care about your rules or what's forbidden, I'm..."

"There's got to be someone out there who can tell us why they've taken our mother," I told him.

"There is," Jace told us.

"You didn't mention this before the ranting?" I asked as he walked back towards us from the monitor's he'd been looking at with Alec.

"You coming?"

"Yeah," Clary and I said as we followed him with Simon behind us.

"No, no, no," Jace said stopping him from following us. "Not you."

"Hey, we're a package deal," Clary told him.

"There are runes all over the training room floor that would kill your mundie boyfriend," Jace told him.

"He's not my-"

"I'm not, like-"

"We're, uh, just friends," Simon clarified and I scoffed lightly. Jace sent me a small look and I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Best friends."

"The little brother I never thought I wanted," I said.

"Yeah, and I'm tough. I can handle runes. So, uh, bring on the runes," Simon told him hitting Jace's shoulder with his hand then shaking it to remove the pain. "What exactly are runes?"

"They give Shadowhunters our demon-fighting powers," Isabelle told him while running her Stele over a rune on her arm making it light up.

"So hot," Simon said all breathy. and Jace cleared his throat. "The rune." Isabelle chuckled at him before turning to us.

"Don't worry, Clary, Farah," she told us. "I'll watch over the best friend. In fact, I was about to make breakfast."

"On second thought, the runes might be less lethal," Jace told us and she gave him a look.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," she told him. "Please excuse my brother's lack of manners. This is Alec... and I'm Isabelle." She offered her hand, palm down, to him.

"Lewis. Simon, Simon Lewis," he introduced shaking her fingers. "Two first names. Am I still talking?" she giggled at him.

"See? Best friend safe and sound here," Jace told us.

"Jace, if anything happens to him-"

"Go on," Simon said staring at Isabelle. "I'll be fine. I think."

"Where are we going?" Clary asked.

"Training room," he motioned towards the training room and Clary and I walked towards it.

"Jace, you coming?" I called for him when I noticed he wasn't with us.

* * *

We walked into the training room to see a woman spinning a bo staff and facing off against a man who looked like he was Mom's age.

"Who is that guy?" Clary asked him.

"That's Hodge Starkweather, our weapons trainer," Jace told us. "And, more important for us, a former Circle member. After the uprising, Hodge repented and he was sent to live and work here to make amends. But he's forbidden to ever leave the Institute." Hodge used his weapons to cut the bo staff in three pieces. The woman picked up the pieces and left as Jace, Clary and I walked towards him. Hodge put his shirt on and met us halfway. He stared at me with a smile on his face.

"Jocelyn." I looked at him confused.

"Jocelyn Fray is my mother," I told him. "My name is Farah and this is my little sister, Clary."

"Well, she was Jocelyn Fairchild when I knew her," he told us and Clary exhaled sharply while I just stared at him. "And she was one of my best friends."

"She's been kidnapped by someone named Valentine and his men," Clary told him.

"Byt the Circle, Hodge," Jace told him.

"But that's impossible," Hodge told us backing away slowly. "Valentine's dead and the Circle died with him." He suddenly started choking and he reached for the glowing red run on his neck.

"What's happening?" Clary asked Jace.

"I swore a vow never to speak of what we did," Hodge answered her. "This is the Clave's way of making sure I keep that vow."

"That's torture," I pointed out to the two of them. "We can't ask you to go through that."

"Farah's right," Clary said. "We can't torture him. Is there anyone else we can ask?" Jace shook his head slightly.

"If the Circle really is back, and they've taken Jocelyn... Our leader... our leader of the Circle was Valentine Morgenstern-" he winced in pain as the rune seemed to burn him. "We thought he wanted to protect humans, like all Shadowhunters. But we never realized the lengths which Valentine was willing to go... the people he was willing to sacrifice." The rune seared and he inhaled sharply at the pain. "Most of humanity would die if we carried out Valentine's plan."

"But I... I still don't understand," Clary said. "How does my mother relate to any of this?"

"Jocelyn was a member of the Circle as well," Hodge told us.

"You're saying my mother was a member of your little terrorist group and you expect us to believe you?" I asked him angrily.

"I wouldn't be in this much pain if it weren't," he reminded me.

"I can't believe this," I sighed shaking my head.

"No," Clary said. "I can't believe it. My mother, she-"

"The important thing is that Jocelyn left the Circle," Hodge told us. "And so none of this matters, because Valentine died in a fire years ago." He groaned in pain and Jace moved to his side.

"Hodge. Hodge." Jace helped him stand as we watched.

"I'm sorry, but we can't ask you to do this," Clary said.

"No one else will talk to us about this," I reminded her of Alec's words. "The younger generation doesn't know and the elder one won't talk about it."

"She's right," Jace told her. "We don't have a choice. You understand that Hodge, right?"

"Jace "and Farah are right," Hodge panted. "Valentine nearly destroyed the Shadow World and humanity along with it. If he'd gotten the Cup-"

"Wait a minute," Clary said. "My mother told us she hid something from someone."

"And Dot, or the shapeshifter, said something about a cup," I told them. "If it's the same cup..."

"Farah, Clary, the Mortal Cup is the most important object in the Shadow World," Jace told us. "Whoever possesses it can create more Shadowhunters."

"And in the wrong hands control demons," Hodge said.

"Let me guess what hands Valentine's were," I said sarcastically.

"If Jocelyn hid the Cup from Valentine, then she's in more danger than you can possibly imagine." The rune seared again and Hodge yelled out in pain.

"Hodge." Hodge yelped and fell to the ground inching away from us as we followed.

"I hate to make you suffer like this." Hodge panted as he got to an area and turned to us.

"I'm so sorry," he told us. "Your mother was only trying to protect you. And now you must protect her. Stop Valentine before he destroys us all." Clary turned and ran from the training room.

"You said he was dead," I reminded him before running after Clary. I followed Clary and took her hand when I got to her.

"Clary, but- Farah, look, will you just calm down?" Jace asked us grabbing my arm to make me stop walking.

"Calm down?" I asked him. "If being a Shadowhunter means you aren't allowed to feel emotions then I'm not one, ok? Go play G. with your family."

"What's a G. ?" he asked confused.

"A soldier who doesn't understand human emotions," Clary told him. "Who doesn't know what it's like to lose someone, to lose your own mother."

"Clary..."

"You're right. I never knew my mother," Jace told her.

"I didn't know," she stammered.

"That's precisely my point," Jace told her. "You don't know anything about this. You don't know about me, you don't know about my life... but in the Shadow World, no training and no plan gets you killed." Clary sighed and I looked at her. She wasn't happy about this, but this was his world, and we had to follow his rules.

"You're right," I said as Clary started to pace. "So what do we know?"

"We know that Valentine's back and wants the Cup," Clary said.

"And he thinks Mom has it," I added as she leaned against the wall.

"Could she?" Jace asked. "Have the Cup?"

"I don't know," Clary told him.

"That shapeshifter seemed to think so," I reminded him. "If they think she does, then they'll be after us now to get it."

"Look, Farah, Clary, you about runes," Jace reminded us. "You've drawn them. You... you know something. Think, please."

"Don't you think we've tried?" I asked him. "All I get is this black emptiness."

"Me too." Jace sighed.

"Your memory's been wiped," he said and I looked at them confused.

"That's not possible," Clary said.

"Neither are demons and I nearly died by one," I reminded her.

"If you know a warlock, it's absolutely possible," Jace told us.

"A warlock?"

"Yeah, a warlock, Clary," he sighed. "Immortal being, they're half-demon, half-human. Sometimes their fingers spark."

"Dot," Clary said looking at me. "Mom's assistant, her hands had this purple glow when she opened the wall and Mom pushed us through and we ended up..."

"At the police station where Luke was," I finished saying.

"That was a Portal," Jace told us. "Dot must have been a warlock. Only warlocks can create them."

"So, we find the real Dot, we find the Cup and get Mom back," I said happily.

"Unless she's working for Valentine," Jace pointed out.

"That's just as good," I told him with a small smirk. "She'll take me right to him and my mom."

"Where's Simon? Clary asked walking away from us.

* * *

This is the least revealing thing you have?" Clary asked Isobelle. I'd opted the change out of what I'd been offered before. The top actually covered most of my cleavage and the pants were skin tight. I kept the boots though.

"What?" Isabelle chuckled. "All the naughty bits are covered. A little too much in my opinion."

"While that could be helpful in some situations, but not in the ass-kicking department," I told her with a smile.

"Where's Simon?" Clary asked crossing her arms at the Shadowhunter.

"Who?" Clary glared at her and Isobelle chuckled. "Kidding. He's in good hands with the boys." Isabelle went back to her bed and sat on it.

"Speaking of the boys," I said looking back at her. "You, Alec and Jace are family?"

"Translation, you want to know if Jace and I are a thing?" she chuckled at me and I smiled while looking down at my hands before looking back up at her.

"Why would she care?" Clary asked her and I gave her a look.

"Because she does," Isabelle smiling at me. "Don't worry. In every way, he's like my brother. Our parents took Jace in when he was ten. We trained together. Learned to fight side by side."

"A few days ago, all I had to worry about was getting into art school," Clary said.

"I had a tournament next month," I said leaning on a pillar in her room.

"And now..."

"Is this the part where I give you the pep talk about harnessing your inner Shadowhunters and accepting your true destiny?" she asked us.

"Was that the pep talk?" Clary asked her.

"Basically," Isabelle chuckled.

"You suck at pep talks," I laughed.

"Glary, Farah," she got out of bed and walking towards us. "Remember, you were born to do this. No matter what has happened this is who you are."

"Not exactly feeling that," Clary told her.

"Not sure what to feel," I added.

"Yet."

"Okay, but now we just have to find Dot," Clary said.

"And track down and kill the most dangerous rogue Shadowhunter in history before he kills us all," Isabelle added.

"So just another Tuesday?" I joked and the three of us laughed.

"Come on, let's go," Isabelle said turning to leave before turning to Clary. "Oh, and Simon is kind of nerd-hot." Clary sighed as we followed her out of her room.

* * *

"Let's get out of here. Just the three of us," Simon said putting on his jacket. "We can get Dot ourselves."

"Simon, there are demons out there, okay?" Clary reminded him. "Actual demons with tentacles that wanna murder us. Do you know how to kill a demon?"

"I'm an Internet search away," he told her and I shook my head at him.

"You realize it's probably not that simple?" I asked him with a smile.

"I bet you it's not that hard," he told me. Isabelle pressed a button on the wall and I stared at all the weapons.

"Whoa."

"No, Izzy." Jace slapped her hand away from the swords.

"Fifty bucks says he doesn't approve this mission," Isabelle told him.

"I don't approve of this mission," Alec said as he joined us. "I spoke with the Clave. They're sending Seelie scouts to search for Valentine, but they made it clear, the little girls do not leave the premises."

"The little girls have names," I told him.

"We don't care what that Clave thing or you want," Clary told him. "We're going to find Dot."

"Alec, this warlock could have the answers we need," Jace told him. "With Valentine's people out there searching for Farah and her sister, they're not safe outside alone."

"Jace has a point," Isabelle said.

"Et tu, Izzy?" Alec asked her.

"All right, since you have all the answers, where do you suggest we search?" Alec asked looking between me and Clary.

"We should start at Dot's apartment in Greenpoint," Clary told them. "And there's this thrift store that she..." Clary gasped and I stared at her in confusion.

"Clary?" I said trying to get her attention. "Clary!" I shook her a little and she blinked rapidly.

"What's wrong?" Jace asked her. "What is it?"

"What was that?" I asked her confused.

"I, um..." Clary took a deep breath. "Weirdly, I think I know where Dot is."

"Great. I'll drive," Simon said pulling out his keys and we all stared at him. "What? Unless you have, like, a Shadowhunter-mobile or something." Isabelle chuckled and Simon finally realized where he was standing. "You were kidding about the runes on the floor killing me... right?" Alec and Jace shared a look.

"Possibly." Jace slapped Simon's face lightly as he passed him. The rest of us followed him as Simon turned to each of us.

"Wait... am I gonna die?"

* * *

When we got to the street across from Pandemonium and Clary touched her necklace and gasped again.

"Dot," she gasped. "Dot!"

"Clary!" I called after her as she ran across the street. I was on her tail as we ran to the front of the club.

"Farah!" I heard Jace call out. I grabbed Clary's arm and stopped her from running.

"You can't fight whatever you saw on your own," I told her.

"Two men, Circle members..." Clary told me breathlessly. "The same ones who came to our house, who took Mom."

"What about them?"

"They have Dot. They're gonna hurt her or kill her. We have to stop them!" Clary took off running again and I groaned before following her. We ran inside the club and looked everywhere for her.

"Clary, she's not here," I told her.

"No. She was just trying to help me," Clary trembled. "Us. She was just trying to help us." She grasped her necklace and stared at us. "No, she's gone."

"Clary, I'm sorry," Simon said rubbing her shoulder.

"You don't understand. Dot's like a big sister," Clary told her.

"It's not safe here," Alec said. "We have to go back to the Institute right now."

"So, what now?" Clary asked. "Valentine has my mom and Dot, and we're just gonna give up?"

"No one's giving up, Clary," I told her.

"What about our memories?" Clary asked ignoring me and I sighed. I turned and saw Jace looking at me. "They can't just be gone?"

"There is another option?" Jace said.

"Don't even-"

"Absolutely not."

"I'm not afraid of the Silent Brothers," Jace told them.

"Who are the Silent Brothers?" I asked them staring at Jace."

"They're Shadowhunters with superior powers," Jace told me.

"Who possess the ability to recover memories," Isabelle added.

"A process that can also kill you, so there's that," Alec said.

"Your bedside manner is abysmal," Simon told him.

"We've broken at least 18 Clave rules and now you want to go to the City of Bones?" Alec asked Jace who was staring at me. "There's no way. I won't allow it."

"This isn't our choice to make," Jace told him. "This is Farah and Clary's decision."

"You can't ask them to do this," Isabelle told him. "They don't know what they're facing. They're not prepared."

"If anyone can tell me another way to recover my memories and still get the answers we need, we're listening." The three Shadowhunters were silent.

"That's that then," I told them.

"See? I told you they're one of us," Jace told them. He slapped Alec's shoulder with a smirk before leaving the club.

* * *

Simon drove us to where they Jace and the others told him to go. We all climbed out of the van and stared at where we were supposed to go to get to the City of Bones.

"Yeah, this place isn't creepy," Simon said. "Not at all."

"Don't tell me you're afraid," Isabelle said smirking at him and he scoffed at her.

"Are you kidding me? I was born afraid... which sounded a lot better in my head," he told her making the girl chuckle.

"Let's check it out," Alec told us. Jace followed him and I went to follow, but he stopped me.

"Wait here a minute. I wanna see if it's safe," he told me and I gave him a look.

"I've done my fair share of fighting you know," I told him with a smirk on my face.

"Not like this." He gave me a cocky smile and I smiled back before he went to join Alec with Isabelle.

"Why are we doing this?" Simon asked us. "We don't even know these people."

"Becuase they are helping us get Mom back," I reminded him.

"I just wish Mom had trusted us enough to tell us about all this," Clary said. Simon gave us a weird look. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"How are you not ultra freaked out by all of this?" he asked us.

"I guess I just always felt like there was something missing," Clary told him. "Some void I couldn't quite explain."

"A world we were a part of, yet could never touch," I added. "Now the world is right in front of us. I just don't like the way we were pushed into it."

"Things are finally starting to make sense," Clary said. "But none of it's gonna matter unless we get our mom back."

"Then let's do that," Simon told her.

"Farah," Jace called out and we all turned to him. "Come on, it's all clear."

"Let's go." The three of us went towards the three of them and Jace offered me his hand and I accepted it.

* * *

"You have to understand, the Silent Brothers aren't like us," Jace told me. Clary was walking with Simon and Isabelle and Alec was covering our back.

"They don't flirt with someone they just met?" I teased.

"Most people don't," he told me and I chuckled. "Brothers communicate without using words, using just their thoughts."

"That's not so scary," I told him.

"Don't let their silence fool you," Jace warned. "They'll hold the Soul-Sword to yours and Clary's head, and with its blade, carve the truth from your mind. If you're not strong enough, you will die." I looked back at Clary worriedly.

"I stand corrected, that's very scary."

"Farah," Jace stopped walking and placed a hand on my arm to stop me. "You should know, the pain will be excruciating. You don't have to."

"I'm going to do this," I told him. "I'm the only one who's going under that sword and I'll get my memories back. I'll find the Cup and my mom, and when we get her back I'm going to fight with her. And demand she tell me everything I don't already know. I won't risk my baby sister on that. Promise me you won't let her do this. Promise me you'll find another way if I die."

"I promise."

"Thank you." He walked away from me and I followed him with the others right behind us now. We walked up to a large metal skeleton on a large metal gate.

"We can do this," Clary said taking my hand and I turned to her.

"Not you," I told her. "Me. Just me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked me confused. "We decided to do this together."

"Clary, we could die because of this," I reminded her. "I'm your big sister and it's my job to protect you. So you're going to let me do that. And if anything happens-"

"Nothing will," she told me while starting to cry.

"If anything happens, you're going to find another way to get your memories back and find Mom." I sighed looking towards the creepy skeleton gate. Simon started for the gate but Jace stopped him.

"All right, hold on."

"Surprise, surprise," Simon said sarcastically. "No mundanes allowed, just like in the training room, right? Wrong! I've seen every horror movie ever made and the funny best friend who gets left behind... dead man." Isabelle chuckled.

"You're not that funny." Simon gave Jace a look. "But by all means, go ahead." Simon turned to go inside when Jace stopped him. "Of course, the minute you enter, you'll die."

"Problem is, now I don't trust you," Simon told him.

"He's not lying," Alec told him.

"Now. He was before," Isabelle told him.

"The run energy in the City of Bones will kill any mundane who dares to enter, so, please..." Alec made motions for Simon to go inside the City of Bones and Isabelle sighed.

"The Brothers creep me out. I'll mind the mundane."

"Your sacrifice is noted, Izzy," Jace told her going towards the gate.

"Talk about sacrifice, I'm missing a financial analysis class."

"I can't be here anymore," Alec said motioning to Simon and Clary. "So, Jace, I'm gonna mind the perimeter."

"I don't wanna leave you," Clary told me and I smiled at her.

"I'll be okay and I'll see you in a bit," I told her.

"We'll be right here," Simon told me taking one of my hands on his. I shared a hug with both of them.

"Farah, you don't keep the Silent Brothers waiting," Jace told us. I parted from the pair and we all smiled.

"You got this," Simon said. I moved away from them and joined Jace at the gate.

* * *

I followed Jace into the City of Bones and he stopped as bats chittered above us. He took a deep breath before moving on and I felt the need to do the same. Water trickled in the dark before Jace made some sort of light in his hands.

"What's that?" I asked him.

"It's a witchlight," Jace told me. "We carry it to remind us that light can be found in even the darkest of places. And it's cooler than a flashlight."

"Definitely cooler than a flashlight," I laughed.

"Here." He handed me the witchlight and pointed in the direction we were supposed to go. We approached a statue of an angel holding a cup and sword in his hands.

"Is that the Mortal Cup?" I asked him.

"Yeah." I moved the witchlight down to the sword to see writing on it.

"What's that say?"

"It's the Shadowhunter creed. "Looking better in black than the widows of our enemies."." We both chuckled.

"I haven't taken Latin in a number of years so it's kinda rusty, but I'm sure you just made that up," I said.

""For Shadowhunters, the descent into hell is easy"."

"Everyone should have a saying like that," I joked.

"It's this way," Jace told me. I followed him to a long hallway and sighed.

"They couldn't have made this any harder, could they?" I asked. Jace took the witchlight from me and put it away before we started down the hallway. "I'm sorry for what Clary said about your mom. You were right, we don't know anything about you."

"It's cute," He smirked. "You assume I have feelings."

"Everyone has feelings," I told him.

"I don't," he insisted. "Save the apologies for the mundanes. Everyone has a sad son. My mother died when I was a baby. My father died when I was ten."

"I'm sorry." He sighed and gave me a look. "Is he... is he buried here?"

"No. Circle members are considered traitors. They forfeit their right to be buried here," Jace explained.

"Your dad was in the Circle?" I asked.

"My father tried to do the right thing and leave the Circle and it cost him his life," Jace told me.

"That's why you're helping me, isn't it?" I asked him.

"Valentine and his people need to pay," Jace told us. "I'm gonna make them pay."

"I'm still sorry about what was said," I told him.

"No more "I'm sorry"'s," he ordered. "You're a Shadowhunter now."

"That still doesn't change who I am," I told him while following as he walked away.

* * *

We walked towards a beam of light, hand in hand, and I stared down at the symbol of an eye.

"I've seen this before," I told him. "What does it mean?"

"It means "clairvoyance"," he told me. Torches suddenly flickered to light and I followed them to see a man in a brown robe with his eyes and mouth sowed shut. My eyes widened at the sight of him. More torches lit themselves and more men, Silent Brothers, appeared from the darkness. I looked around at the room around us to also see bones covering the walls and in alcoves.

"Shadowhunters..." a deep voice said. I turned to see a man walking towards us. He removed his hood and I gripped Jace's hand tighter. "Come into the circle." He motioned for me to step on the rune and I did so releasing Jace's hand. "Step away, Jace Wayland." Jace stepped towards me and gripped my arm lightly.

"I'll be right here." I nodded and Jace stepped away from me.

"The search of your unconscious is a perilous one," the Silent Brother told me.

"My memories were blocked," I told them. "I need them back."

"If you are not strong enough the Soul-Sword will kill you," he warned.

"I'm Farah Fray. I'm ready." The brother in front of me lifted his hands and I looked up to see a sword.

"The Soul-Sword reveals all." The Sword slowly lowered itself to my forehead and I closed my eyes. I felt the tip of the blade touch between my eyes and I was pulled into the past.

* * *

 _I was in my room just laying in bed and staring outside the window when I heard Mom and Luke outside my door._

 _"Luke, no," Mom said._

 _"All this lying is destroying you," Luke told her. "Stop blocking their memory and tell them the truth."_

 _"I can't. You know I can't."_

 _"You're just delaying the inevitable," Luke said. "Clary and Farah are Shadowhunters. There's nothing you can do to change that. Farah's already getting some training without even knowing it."_

 _"That world is too dangerous," Mom said softly. "If anyone knew who they really are, the risks would be a hundred times greater for them."_

 _"What happens when they find out on their own?" Luke asked her. "Then what?"_

 _"I won't let that happen," Mom insisted and I stared at the stars confused. "If they ever learn about their father... if they ever find out that their father is Valentine."_

* * *

I gasped in shock as I was forced from the memory and the sword slowly pulled away from me as did the Silent Brothers.

"What's going on?" I panted. "Where are they going? I still can't remember anything about the Cup."

"Farah, are you okay?" Jace asked rushing to my side.

"Only fragments of her memory were accessible to us," the Silent Brother told us.

"What I saw isn't true," I told him. "It can't be."

"Your memory does not lie," he told me and I sighed. "You must accept what has been revealed."

"No, I don't," I refused.

"What is it?" Jace asked looking between us. "What did you see?"

"Looks like my mother lied about more than one thing," I said. "She lied all these years about who my father was. About who I am."

"What about your father?"

"The memory I just saw... she told Luke my father was Valentine." Jace just stared at me and I shook my head before running away from him.

* * *

Eventually, Jace caught up to me and we walked out of the City of Bones to see Alec waiting for us.

"What happened?" he asked us. "What did you find out?"

"Valentine is Farah's father," Jace told him. "And Clary's."

"Wait a minute. You're telling me this girl and her sister show up out of nowhere and they're Valentine's daughter?" Alec asked us. "Did it occur to you that she might be a spy? This might be part of her plan?"

"That's enough, Alec," Jace told him.

"My plan?" I asked him angrily. "You think I wanted my mother kidnapped? Or to find out my father wasn't a war hero, like she told me, but a mass murderer? How about Dot being taken? Or having some mystical sword hang over my head which could have killed me?"

"Where's Simon and Clary?" I asked when I saw Isabelle join us again. "Where's Simon and my sister?"

"I told him to stay in the van," Isabelle told us. "I left Clary with Alec."

"She followed after you and the mundane," he told her and I ran my hand through my hair.

"I've searched everywhere for him. I didn't see either of them."

"Clary!" I called out. "Simon!" I ran back to the van to see the door open, but no Simon and Clary. "Clary!" I shouted as loudly as I could. "Simon!"

"Is that the mundane and Shadowhunter's name?" I heard a man call out. I looked up to see four people. A woman holding Simon and Clary upside down and the other shouting down to us. "I'm afraid Simon and Clary are coming with us."

"No!" I shouted going forward. "Simon's not part of this and Clary can't help you. She doesn't know anything."

"And it'll be my pleasure to kill you unless you return them," Jace told him.

"Careful," Alec said. "We'd be violating the Accords."

"I'm afraid your sidekick's quite right," the man told us. "The Night Children have broken no laws. We're negotiating. The mundane and Shadowhunter, unharmed, in exchange for the Mortal Cup. And the clock is ticking. Tick-tock people."

"Farah!" Called out but they were gone the next second.

"Clary!"


	3. Dead Man's Party

"How can Shadowhunters be better than mundanes if you can't protect two innocent people?" I asked annoyed as I led the other three into the main room at the Institute.

"Because we protect humans," Isabel reminded me.

"Humans," I repeated turning to look at her. "You protect humans? You left Simon alone in the van and you," I pointed at Alec. "You let my baby sister go off on her own. Great job protecting them when you aren't with them."

"There is some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense," told me and I scoffed while shaking my head.

"Alec, not now," Isabel snapped.

"Look, they won't do anything to Simon or Clary," Jace assured me. "They just wanted to draw you and your sister out."

"Then why take her?" I asked him.

"Incentive for you to give them the Mortal Cup."

"Why does everyone think I have the Cup?" I asked them. "My mother's lies are coming back to kick me in the ass. Oh, you know the one thing she didn't lie to me about was where she hid a magic cup, that she hid on Hawaii, but I guess I forgot to mention that earlier." I took a deep breath. "How do we get them back?"

"We have to report to the Clave," Alec told us while moving down the hallway.

"Great."

"They have to know what we've learned about Valentine."

"Like a certain biological fact that we all want to forget?" I asked him which stopped them in their tracks. "Go for it, but how does that help me get my family back?"

"Farah, it's all connected," Jace told me. "The vamps want the Cup."

"Why?" I finally asked him. "It makes new Shadowhunters. What good will that do them?"

"Nobody wants Valentine forming an army loyal to himself," Alec explained.

"Plus, it controls demons," Isabel reminded me.

"They'll propose a trade. Simon and Clary for the Cup," Jace told me.

"That'swhatthe one in charge said," I remembered. "The vampires will trade Simon and Clary for the Cup and Valentine will trade my mother for the Cup. Either way, I lose. Wish I could just do a toss-up and let them fight amongst themselves."

"So this doesn't matter to you?" Alec asked me.

"Way to pick and chose what words you hear, Alec," I told him sarcastically. "Of course this matters!" I turned to Jace. "I put my trust and my sister's life in your hands when you saved my life. Now it's time to return the favor. I can't become a Shadowhunter overnight."

"It's true," Isabel agreed. "She and her sister were raised as mundanes."

"What are you, her spokesman now?" Alec asked her.

"I'm pretty sure I can speak for myself," I told him. "What I don't have is a plan." I walked into the main room to try and find my sister and Simon. "One of these screens has to be able to help me. Do you guys even know where they could be?"

"Actually, no. That was Caille's outfit, right?" Jace asked the Lightwoods. "They're locals."

"They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street," Isobel said.

"If we already knew that, why did we come back here?" I asked them.

"We need a Clave resolution for that," Alec told me and I groaned.

"The four of us can't declare war on the vamps all by ourselves."

"And we can't react without considering our options," Alec said. "Downworlders are slaves to their impulses. We're not."

"Alec, you can't just jump on all the Downworlders," Isobel told him.

"Oh, that's right. Seelies have their charms, apparently."

"Right?" Both boys were giving Isobel a knowing look and I felt like I was the odd man out.

"What's a Seelie?" I asked them.

"Like fairies," Jace explained. "The Fair Folk. Add pixies, nixies, elves... anybody half-angel, half-demon. It's pretty much a catch-all term."

"Izzy can tell you all about them. She's got a thing," Alec said and I finally understood what they meant.

"We've all got our things, don't we?" Isobel asked him.

"I'm happy about your _things,_ but I have to save my sister," I told them as I walked away from them.

"Farah, you're gonna get yourself killed."

"Don't care," I called out to him.

"How about your sister and Simon." At that, I paused before turning to them.

"Then help me get them back," I told him. "While we consider other options, my sister and friend could be suffering. Is this fear and worry an irrational mundane thing, or is that something that you three understand? Something makes me think you know exactly what I'm feeling."

"She's right," Jace told the other two and I smiled at him. He motioned us to lean closer and we did. "They made the first move. We're gonna take care of this ourselves, right now

"This is a bad idea," Alec told him. "I-"

"What, you have a better one?" Jace asked pair stared at each other for a brief moment before Jace went on. "Look, the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a mundie. That's a bit no-no. The Clave will give us a big lecture and then they'll be glad we did it. Come on."

"Hard to argue with that."

"Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going," Alec pointed out. "We need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them."

"I know where to get what we need," Jace told him.

* * *

I drove us all to a graveyard in Simon's van.

"Whose grave is it?" Alec asked as we all climbed out of the van.

"Mary Milligan, born January 10th, 1802. Died, January 10th, 1878," Isobel told him.

"All right, Alec, let's go," Jace told him.

"Why are we robbing a grave?" I asked them.

"We're not," Jace told me.

"It's a cache of weapons," Isobel said with a grin on her face.

"Stashed here with Mrs. Milligan," Jace finished.

"Must be cramped," I sighed. "Why are their weapons in a church cemetery?"

"Because all of the ancient religions recognized demons," Isobel told told me. "Or at least they used to."

"They forgot about the threat because we've been here to protect them," Alec said with some snip in his tone. "Typical mundane failure of imagination."

"Are you saying we did too good a job?" Isobel laughed. "You just can't let, can you?"

"You know what?" Jace asked turning to them. "Alec, why don't you go check out by the angel?" Alec left to look where he was told. "We couldn't gear up at the Institute, but we know our ancestors left a cache around here someplace. We'll find it."

"You know, I always wondered where my dad was buried so I could visit him. Some days I wished he was still alive, just so I could get to know him. Well, like they say, be careful what you wish for," I snorted while shaking my head.

"This isn't your fault," Jace told me quietly.

"He's coming after me and my sister," I reminded him. "This is my fault for not seeing anything. My sister started to see things differently on her 18th birthday. I was blind for a whole year." We heard a phone ring and Isobel answering it.

"Excellent." She hung up and smiled up at us. "He's home. I'm outta here."

"Where are you going?" I asked her confused. "I thought you were coming with us."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, but I gotta find out how to get into the vampires' lair," she told me before walking off.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Jace called out to her.

"Jace," we turned to look at Alec. "Over here."

"Yeah, coming," Jace told him before looking at me. "Are you gonna be all right?"

"I'll be fine," I told him. "Just give me a quick minute?"

"Okay." Jace left me alone but walked over to Alec so I could have a quiet minute as I looked for the right grave.

"Hey! Guys! I think I found it!" I called out to them while wiping some dirt off the grave to I could read it better. "Mary Milligan!" I wiped away the dirt from the engraving under her name and grew confused. "Beloved servant?" I asked as the boys joined me. "Who would want that on their headstone?"

"Someone who is in service to a cause greater than themselves," Alec said and I glared at him slightly. Why did I feel like was saying that very pointedly to me?

"At least she is now," Jace said wiping off the leaves from the grave and pulling out his Stele. "Abracadabra."

"Seriously?" I asked with a grin growing on my face. He just grinned at me before running his Stele over the symbol on the grave before he and Alec moved the top so it was laying sideways and Jace broke open the inner casket to reveal weapons.

"And where's Mrs. Milligan?" I asked them staring at the blades in front of me. I reached in and pulled out a sword staring at it in awe.

"Don't touch that," Alec ordered, taking it from me. "You don't know how to use it."

"I think we covered that you know nothing about me," I reminded him. "And, if I remember right, I held my own just fine at Pandemonium."

"You didn't kill-"

"Alec," Jace interrupted us and Alec turned to him. "I'm going to show her the right way to use it. Do you see what you need in here?" Alec looked back in the casket before shaking his head.

"No. There's no bow here. I need one. I have to rune some arrows. That's back at the Institute. I gotta go."

"Well, how are you gonna get back in the Institute?" Jace asked him.

"Go in the back," Alec told him. "Won't bother me if I'm alone."

"Okay, good. Go. I can finish up here." I turned away from them and started running through my former drills.

"Hey," I heard Alec sigh. "I understand what we need to do. And I trust you, parabatai... but don't ever doubt me. No matter what I said."

"Its already forgotten," I heard Jace tell him. I turned in time to see them clasp hands. "I'll see you at dawn."

"At dawn." Jace and I stared at each other as Alec walked away from us. I turned back to the sword in my hand as I heard Jace walk up behind me.

"Let me show you how to use this thing."

"I've had training with weapons before," I said smirking at him from over my shoulder.

"I doubt you were trained with this," he said and I nodded slightly.

"You're right. Glowing swords weren't on the itinerary back then," I joked.

"It knows you're a Shadowhunter, so it wants to respond," Jace told me, wrapping his hand around mine and the sword. "But you have to be firm with it. Let it know who's boss. There." He controlled the sword and my arm slicing through the air. "You make it a part of yourself and it a part of you. Now, the blade never dims." He held up the blade, showing me the glow. "It's saying you belong together."

"How does it know we belong together?" I asked him.

"'Cause you're part angel, Farah, like all Shadowhunters," he told me. We pierced the air and a pulse released from the blade. I stared at the blade wide-eyed. I'd never seen anything like that before. "You understand?"

"I'm beginning to," I said turning to him. I hadn't noticed how close our faces were until I did that. I stared into his blue eyes, nearly forgetting what we were doing, before I turned away.

"You'll get there," he told me, slicing through the air again. "It's not something you understand in your mind. It's something you know because it's pulsing through your body." I barely noticed when he let go and backed away from my body. I stabbed the air and a pulse went out making me smile.

"I couldn't do this without you," I said shaking my head.

"You just did," he told me and I turned to him, finally noticing the distance between us.

"It didn't feel like that," I said. "It felt like you were still right here."

"I am. I will be." Jace cleared his throat. "We... we will be... there for you." He walked away from and I chuckled at him before joining him at the grave again.

"You seem to trust they'll come back," I commented.

"Who? Alec and Izzy?" I nodded. "We were raised together. They're basically my brother and sister."

"Alec hasn't actually kept it secret that he doesn't like me. At all," I commented.

"Alec doesn't like anybody," he defended.

"Ok, but if he doesn't like me or my sister why would he help us?"

"Did you hear what he called me just then?" he asked me and I nodded. "We're parabatai." Jace replaced the top of the grave back into place so no one would know we'd taken them.

"You know I don't know what that means, right?" I asked him.

"There's no human bond that compares to what Alec and I have," he explained. "We're bound together for life. Bound to fight together, to protect each other. In battle, our hearts beat as one. If one of us were to die... a part of the other would die inside as well. He'll be here, Farah."

"Ok," I said. I might not understand it completely, but the emotion behind the words, that I could understand.

"Are you ready?" he asked me.

"More than ready," I told him.

"You look ready." He grinned at me and we set off for our next destination.

* * *

We made our way to a dingy bar in an alleyway.

"Why are we at a biker bar?" I asked Jace confused.

"We can't move on the vamps until sunrise," Jace explained. "Plus, there's something I need in here."

"What, a drink?" I joked.

"I don't drink."

"What underage?" I asked him and he just gave me a look. "Look, we need to save Clary and Simon, not hang around posers." Jace chuckled at my words and I gave him a confused look. "Did I make a joke I don't know about?"

"It's kinda funny," he said and I scoffed.

"Shouldn't you be teaching me the finer points of fighting vampires or something along those lines?" I asked him, getting annoyed.

"Do me a favor," Jace told me before pointing to a couple. "Look over there. What do you see?" I stared at the couple noticing something... off about them. I looked to everyone else noticing the same thing.

"A lot of people," I sighed. "Waitress, couples. Are we doing this to point out my distinct lack of a love life, cause if so I'm going to hit you."

"Focus on the couple." I stared at the couple that seemed highlighted in red. "Now concentrate on seeing through."

"Through what?" I asked him.

"There are layers to reality. You can peel them away," he explained. "See the Shadow World."

"Maybe you can," I told him. "You and Clary and all the others. But if I could I would have been seeing it for a year now."

"Don't just use your mind," he instructed. "Use your whole self. You said you were a fighter, so push through the glamour. Relax into it." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. I gasped at what I saw.

"They're vampires." We moved to another part of the bar.

"Check out that guy," Jace said pointing at the door. I turned to see the biggest tool in the world walk in. "He's got something."

"What?" I asked giving him a look. "Fleas?"

"Now, now," he said with a grin. "Bet you can't handle his charm?"

"He has charm?" I asked with a look. "You're joking. Why does it feel like you're trying to get me to do something?"

"You really wanna help find Clary and Simon?" he asked me and I sighed. "Go on, go compliment him on his motorcycle." I gave him a look. "They like that."

"I really don't wanna do this," I sighed before going to the vampire. I smiled at him, attempting to flirt.

"I'd been wondering who owned this ride," I told him, tilting my head to the side to give the bike a long look before looking back up at the vamp.

"Well, hey, baby." I cringed. "You like to ride?"

"Among other things," I told him. He raised his hand and moved his fingers and I felt something taking over. I saw him change as, suddenly, he was my sole focus. I forgot about my sister, Jace, my mom, Valentine, everything.

"You know you smell like a friggin' angel, right?" he asked me and I smiled. "But without all that Shadowhunter rune crap all over you. Much better look, right?"

"You'd be surprised," I chuckled.

"I don't know what the hell you are, angel doll, but you're one tasty treat," he chuckled and, for some reason, I did the same.

"Thank you." He placed his hand on my waist and I felt my skin crawl as he moved his head to my ear and whispered in it.

* * *

The vamp moved behind me, his arms around my waist, and he continued to whisper in my ear.

"You wanna go for a ride, baby?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I agreed with a smile on my face.

"Careful," he told me as I climbed on the bike.

"Hey," I looked away from the vampire to see a familiar face. "Having fun with my girl?"

"Piss off, Shadowhunter," the vamp told him.

"We're going to go for a ride," I told Jace. I was staring into his blue eyes.

"Yeah, not going to happen," Jace told him.

"You heard the lady," the vamp told him. "Step aside." The vamp pushed Jace back and he chuckled.

"Don't move Farah."

"Not planning on it," I told him as Jace walked closer to the vamp. The vamp punched at him but Jace disappeared. The vamp looked around confused before Jace appeared behind him.

"Yoo-hoo, Romeo." The vamp gasped as he turned around. Jace punched him making him fall back while throwing the keys into the air. Jace caught them as the vamps in the room started to gather around us. "As you were." Jace jumped on the bike in front of me.

"What are you-"

"Hold on." I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist as he started the bike and sped off. I laughed as we seemed to keep going faster until everything seemed to pass in a blur.

"Why did you let him do that to me?" I asked Jace.

"I couldn't exactly dig around in his pockets for the keys," Jace pointed out.

"So you were okay with him turning me into a vampire to get his keys?"

"Don't you trust me?" he asked before throttling the engine.

"Always."

"Better hold tight, this bike runs on demon energy. It's pretty mean."

"But if this one does so do the others," I commented.

"Why do you think I picked this one?" he asked me. "It's been modified."

"But we still have to find-"

"Clary and Simon. Yes, we'll find your mundie and sister. You got a good grip."

"You don't need to keep asking me that!" I shouted over the bike and wind. "So long as this bike is moving I'm not letting go!" Suddenly, the bike took off into the air and I gasped in shock before we started laughing. "Why didn't you start with flying?" He didn't answer, just continued to laugh.

* * *

We landed on the Hotel DuMort roof and got off the bike.

"What that vamp did to you back at the bar, it's called encanto," Jace told me as he drew a rune on my shoulder. Of course when I saw draw, what I mean is burn.  
"That was just the first step. It's kind of like what a cobra does to a mouse right before it strikes. This will keep you safe just in case you tun into Mr. Fascinating again."

"You're the one who threw me into his arms," I reminded him as he patted my arm when he was done with my shoulder.

"Give me your arm." I did as he said.

"What are you burning into my skin now?" I asked him.

"This is for silence," he told me.

"The vamps won't hear us coming, but we can't disguise the scent of our blood from them," Jace explained before putting away his Stele once he was done with the rune. "Once we enter the building through there, they'll know something's up. But if our plan works, we'll have time to find Clary and Simon. The mundane world is all into vampires. I don't get it. They see everyone else as an animated sack of meat."

"I never saw the romance in vampires personally," I chimed in.

"That's cause now you know it's all real," Jace told me. "Still, you gotta hand it to them, though. They know how to frame a narrative." I snorted at his joke.

"So, how do we find my sister and Simon?"

"They'll be in the most secure room in the building. Trust me, we'll know it when we see it."

"What if they do an encanto on them? Will they turn into a vampire?" I asked him curiously.

"No, you have to drink vampire blood for that. Even then, there's more to it. It's an overly involved process, if you ask me," Jace told me.

"But what if a vampire bites them?" I asked.

"They won't drain them right away," Jace told me. "They like to take their time."

"How thoughtful," I said sarcastically.

"Vampires are real gourmets."

"Clary'll be terrified," I sighed worriedly.

"Actually, she'll feel kind of high, kind of like she's in love," Jace told me.

"With the one who bit her?"

"Yeah."

"That's disgusting."

"It's disgusting?" Jace asked me and I nodded.

"Why would you want to feel in love with the person killing you?"

"Guess I wouldn't know," Jace shrugged.

"You've never been bitten?" I asked before realizing what he meant. "You've never been in love."

"The point is it wears off. Just like love."

"Love doesn't just wear off," I told him as he walked away from me.

"What the deal with you, your sister, and that guy, anyway? He seems kinda-"

"Watch your words, Jace," I warned.

"Unworthy of the two of you? How's that?" he asked me.

"You really think you have us all figured out, don't you?" I asked him.

"I do."

"You were raised believing that emotions are a weakness. It's no wonder you don't understand us."

"Really?" Jace asked me.

"You said Alec is your parabatai."

"Alec would die for me."

"As would the three of us," I told him. "That's what being a family is, Jace. Willing to die for the ones we love."

"The sun's coming up soon," Jace said and I smirked before looking into the dark sky. "Remember how to use the blade?" I nodded. "Keep your arms steady and don't overestimate what you know. They can be tricky. We'll try and keep them off you as much as we can."

"Where are Alec and Isabelle?"

"Being distracting."

* * *

Jace and I snuck inside and walked through the building keeping an eye out for vamps as we go. I grabbed his arm to stop him from walking forward.

"Wait, I hear something."

"Hold up," Jace told me drawing his sword. We heard vampires shrieking. That must have been Alec and Isabelle. We continued through the building, away from the vamps, and kept trying to find Simon and Clary. We entered a room where an old "friend" was waiting for us.

"Farah!"

"You!" Jace stepped between me and the vamp from the bar only to get tackled by two others. The vamp wrapped his arms around my upper body, pinning my arms to my chest, and holding me to him.

"Just ran 30 blocks to get here before I freaking burned to death in the sun!" Brad, the vamp, complained. "You missed your ride, angel doll." He spun me so I was facing him. "Why'd you go with him, huh? You really know how to hurt a guy."

"What can I say, the better man won." I headbutted Brad before kicking him in the nuts. "Guess you were right. I really do know how to hurt a guy."

"Farah, look out!" The warning was too late. Brad wrapped his hand around my throat and slammed me into the wall.

"Bitch, you're finished!"

"The blade!" Jace called out to me. I tried to go for my blade, but Brad took it out of my hand burning his own.

"Damn it!" He threw me to the ground before growling at me. He grabbed my arms and pulled me towards him and spun me around and pulled me to his chest. I saw Alec pointing an arrow at us.

"Okay," Alec said before pointing his arrow somewhere else and firing. Brad screamed and I managed to get out of his grasp before he burned in front of me. I picked up my blade and went to the vamps Jace was fighting. One of them attacked me but I managed to duck before sliding my sword through his guts.

"Don't know if I'll ever get used to killing people," I told Jace as he stared at me.

"He was already dead," Jace pointed out.

"Plus, he wanted to kill you," Isabelle pointed out. "Remember that. She did great, right?"

"Yeah, you did. You should be proud," Jace told me.

"I am, but it's not about me," I reminded him. "Let's go find Clary and Simon."

* * *

We walked into a room to see the vampire from before holding Clary and Simon in his hands.

"Clary! Simon!"

"Farah! That's not gonna do any good," Jace said, stopping me from rushing towards them.

"Listen to him, Farah Fairchild. Put it away. I've more than enough of your friends for one day. I'd love to cut his throat. Either way, I still have one hostage. Don't give me a reason. Put it away!" the vamp ordered and we did so.

"Clary, you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine," she told me but I could see the near-invisible tear tracks on her face.

"Simon?"

"I wouldn't say all right-"

"Stop talking!" the vamp ordered. "Now... if you would all just follow me. Let's go!" We followed him up towards the roof, him keeping a hand on both Simon and Clary. "Come on, let's go! Up here now!" He went through a doorway and stood in a corner as we passed him. "That's right, get down there now! Get down there or I'll kill them right now!" Jace made sure I passed the vamp quickly and stayed between the two of us.

"Look, all I want is my sister and friend. We won't hurt you," I tried telling him.

"I'm glad you do. We don't! We wanted you."

"Well here I am," I told him and Jace had to stop me from going after him.

"I said, "wanted". Not my idea," the vamp told us. "Now, get out! Go!"

"Not without them," I said motioning to the two he held in his hands. He threw Simon to us but kept Clary in his hands.

"I've given you one of them, now open that door right now or I'll kill her right here," the vamp ordered.

"Listen to him!" Jace told the others.

"But Clary will die if-" the door opened and the vamp whimpered before hiding behind Clary and pipes.

"Farah, go," Clary told me. "I'll be okay."

"Go! Go! Go!" Jace ordered and the Lightwoods and Simon were the first ones out the door.

"Go! Take her! Go!" the vamp said pushing Clary to us. Jace caught her and she turned to the vamp.

"I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't thank me," the vamp told her. "This is about Valentine and the chaos he can bring.

"Come on!" Jace ordered shoving my sister into my arms.

"Jace Wayland!" I turned to the vamp as Jace did. "Remember who your friends are." Jace was the last one in the sunlight and he slammed the door behind us. We all stood around on the roof catching our breath.

"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Simon asked us.

"Why, Simon?" Jace asked him.

"They're right downstairs."

"Let them come after us," Jace told him. "They'll just turn into a bunch of fried eggs out here. I thought you said you watch movies." Jace and the Lightwoods went up the small stairs next to where I was standing and Clary finally took a deep breath.

"Oh my God. Oh, my God, it's over. It's actually over." Clary pulled me with her to Simon and the three of us shared a group hug.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose both of you," I sighed. "But it's true, you're actually here."

"You know I'd do anything for the two of you," Simon said keeping Clary close to him.

"You don't have to die!" Clary sighed.

"I'd rather not do that," he said and I had to laugh.

"I couldn't live without you," Clary said as she pulled him into a hug.

"Say that again," Simon begged her.

"I couldn't live without you, Simon. You two are all I have left," Clary said holding my hand in hers. "Our whole lives just disappeared. We're supposed to... be this other thing, live this other way. You're my best friend." Clary kissed him on the cheek and I wanted to make a face or noise at the friend-zone she just placed Simon in. "Don't you ever, ever let yourself get into that kind of trouble again. Got it? Yeah?" he nodded and kissed her cheek and held her close.

"Alec, stop!" We looked up at Jace shouting at his parabatai. He stared down at me before looking at Alec again. He and Alec shared more words before Alec walked away. Jace and I stared at each other until Clary pulled me away to talk about what we'd done to get them away from the vamps.


End file.
